We can't fault Microsoft for this one. A report surfaced today from the Silicon Alley Insider that Microsoft has told employees it will no longer pay for iPhones, BlackBerries, the Palm Pre, or any other non-Windows mobile device submitted on expense reports.

These mobile devices have been banned from expense reports as part of the overall cost cutting going on in Redmond. But even if Microsoft wasn't looking to trim expenses, we have to say this rule seems fair. We can understand that some employees may have come to Microsoft via an acquisition and have been using their beloved non-Windows smartphone of choice for work purposes for years. Even so, it takes a lot of chutzpah to ask your employer to pay for a competitive product.

Here's hoping that Windows Mobile 6.5 will be able to woo 'Softies back into the corporate fold. More importantly, will enterprises want it? (See for yourself with this video.)